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575+ German Verbs
by Edward Swick
TM
575+ German Verbs
TM
575+ German Verbs
by Edward Swick
Webster’s New World® 575+ German Verbs
Copyright © 2006 by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Swick, Edward.
Webster’s new world 575+ German verbs / by Edward Swick.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-7645-9915-6 (pbk.)
ISBN-10: 0-7645-9915-1
1. German language--Verb. 2. German language--Self-instruction. I. Title.
PF3271.S933 2006
438.2’421--dc22
2005031023
ISBN-13: 978-0-7645-9915-6
ISBN-10: 0-7645-9915-1
Manufactured in the United States
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
W
ith much gratitude to Sabine McNulty for all her help and suggestions.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Verb Usage Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121
E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137
F . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173
G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .205
H . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .235
J . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .257
K . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .261
L . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .293
M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .317
N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .335
O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .341
P . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .343
Q . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .361
R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .365
S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .393
T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .515
U . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .537
V . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .551
W . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .581
Z . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .602
Appendix of Additional Verbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 618
Appendix of Irregular Verb Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 663
English-German Verb Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 677
INTRODUCTION
G
erman verbs, like English verbs, provide the action of a sentence as well as
the number, tense, and mood of that action. In other words, verbs play a very
significant role in language. This book is designed to give you quick access to the
conjugations and functions of verbs and is a complete reference to the 575 most
commonly used German verbs. Each of these verbs is conjugated in all the persons
(first-person singular and plural, second-person singular and plural, and thirdperson singular and plural) in the three moods (indicative, subjunctive, and imp
erative), and in all the tenses (present, past, present perfect, past perfect, future,
and future perfect). The verbs are presented in alphabetical order in 575 charts
followed by examples and idiomatic uses of the verbs. There is also a Verb Usage
Review, an appendix of 1,500 other verbs that are cross-referenced to the charts,
an appendix of irregular verb forms as a quick reference, and an index of English
and German verbs.
Verb Usage Review
In this section, you’ll find a review of German verbs and their tenses, moods, and
conjugations. The verb charts give you the complete conjugation of each verb, but
the Verb Usage Review shows you how and when to use the various moods and
tenses.
First, you’ll encounter the German subject pronouns and their English counterparts. German and English differ in that, in the present tense, English has only one
conjugational ending that is different and is used in the third-person singular. That
ending is –s (see third-person singular below).
First person
Second person
Third person
Singular
Plural
I talk
you talk
he talks
we talk
you talk
they talk
In the German present tense, each person has a unique ending that must be used
with all regular verbs and, in some cases, there are alternatives to these endings
with irregular verbs.
I also identify the principal parts of the verbs for you. The principal parts are particularly important with irregular verbs, which often break the patterns that exist
with regular verbs. Fortunately for English speakers, relating to the irregularities of German verbs is often relatively simple, because English and German are
brother and sister languages and frequently have the same kind of irregularities.
For example:
English
German
sing
singen
sang
sang
sung
gesungen
2 / Webster’s New World 575+ German Verbs
You’ll also encounter irregular verbs that are completely different from English
verbs, as well as tense forms and usages that are unique to German.
Although German and English have the same tenses, German often applies them
in ways that are different from English. Understanding these differences is important in understanding German verbs. This is particularly true when looking at the
subjunctive mood, because English is moving away from using this mood, while
the subjunctive mood still functions as a critical aspect of verbs in the German
language. Take this into consideration when using the verb charts.
The indicative mood is the first of the three moods that I present. It is used to
provide facts and information in the form of statements or questions. The indicative mood can occur in any of the tenses: present, past, present perfect, past perfect, future, or future perfect. You’ll see how each tense in the indicative mood is
formed, so when you refer to one of the verb charts, you’ll understand the kinds of
conjugations presented there.
The subjunctive mood is used extensively in German. You’ll find that it has a function that does not exist in English: indirect discourse. This is the retelling of a
statement made or a question posed by someone else. Direct discourse is the quote
of someone’s words:
Mary said, “John found ten dollars.”
Indirect discourse occurs when another speaker says what was stated in direct discourse:
Mary said that John found ten dollars.
In German, indirect discourse requires a special subjunctive conjugation. The
subjunctive is also used in conditional statements and in statements of wish or
desire.
The imperative mood is a command. Unlike English, which has one command
form, German has three forms of the imperative: one for the second-person singular informal (du), one for the second-person plural informal (ihr), and one for the
second-person formal (Sie).
Participles occur in German. They are both present and past participles. But you’ll
discover that English and German use present participles quite differently. German
has no progressive tense and, therefore, does not use a participle in that kind of
verbal expression. Present participles tend to be used as modifiers. But past participles have a similar function in both languages.
Verb Charts
The verb charts, which make up the bulk of this book, consist of 575 fully conjugated verbs in alphabetical order by their infinitive. The sample verb chart below
shows the infinitive and its meaning, the past participle, followed by the complete
conjugation in all the tenses. If the verb is reflexive, it is identified as such by the
reflexive pronoun sich in the infinitive. I chose the verbs for these charts because
Introduction / 3
of their high-frequency usage in the language. Some of the verbs have no prefix;
others have inseparable prefixes (be–, er–, emp–, ent–, ge–, ver–, and zer–); and still
others have separable prefixes (for example, an–, auf–, ein–, vor–, and zu–).
The auxiliary verb haben or
sein depends upon the kind
of verb—transitive or verb of
motion.
anwenden
to employ, to use, to apply to
Auxiliary verb: haben Past participle: angewandt
Imperative: Wende an! Wendet an! Wenden Sie an!
Indicative
Mode
Simple Tenses
Compound Tenses
Singular
Present
Plural
Singular
Present Perfect
Plural
wende an
wendest an
wendet an
wenden an
wendet an
wenden an
habe angewandt
hast angewandt
hat angewandt
haben angewandt
habt angewandt
haben angewandt
wandten an
wandtet an
wandten an
hatte angewandt
hattest angewandt
hatte angewandt
Past
wandte an
wandtest an
wandte an
werde anwenden
wirst anwenden
wird anwenden
habe angewandt
habest angewandt
habe angewandt
wendeten an
wendetet an
wendeten an
hätte angewandt
hättest angewandt
hätte angewandt
werden angewandt haben
werdet angewandt haben
werden angewandt haben
haben angewandt
habet angewandt
haben angewandt
Past Perfect
hätten angewandt
hättet angewandt
hätten angewandt
The subjunctive is used to
express emotions, wishes,
desires, and conditions.
Future Perfect
werden anwenden
werdet anwenden
werden anwenden
Present and Future Conditional
würde anwenden
würdest anwenden
würde anwenden
The indicative mood presents
facts that are happening, did
happen, or will happen.
Present Perfect
Future
werde anwenden
werdest anwenden
werde anwenden
werde angewandt haben
wirst angewandt haben
wird angewandt haben
wenden an
wendet an
wenden an
Past
wendete an
wendetest an
wendete an
hatten angewandt
hattet angewandt
hatten angewandt
Future Perfect
werden anwenden
werdet anwenden
werden anwenden
Present
wende an
wendest an
wende an
The imperative mood is used
for giving orders, commands,
or requests. It can be expressed
formally or informally.
Past Perfect
Future
Subjunctive
The past participle is used to
form the perfect tenses with the
verb haben It can also be used
as an adjective.
würden anwenden
würdet anwenden
würden anwenden
werde angewandt haben
werdest angewandt haben
werde angewandt haben
werden angewandt haben
werdet angewandt haben
werden angewandt haben
Past Conditional
würde angewandt haben
würdest angewandt haben
würde angewandt haben
würden angewandt haben
würdet angewandt haben
würden angewandt haben
Note: This verb also has a regular conjugation. Its principal parts without a prefix are
wendet, wendete, hat gewendet. Wenden means “turn” or “turn over.”
EXAMPLES
Hier muss man diese Formel anwenden.
Hast du das Desinfektionsmittel richtig
angewandt?
Here you have to use this formula.
Did you apply the disinfectant correctly?
A note points out differences
that occur with the illustrated
verb when there is a change of
prefix, when the verb has two
forms (regular and irregular)
and when both auxiliaries
haben and sein can be used.
It also explains how a verb
directed to the chart relates to
the one illustrated in the chart.
4 / Webster’s New World 575+ German Verbs
All the verb charts end with example sentences in German, translated into English.
These sentences demonstrate the meaning and function of the verb in the chart.
The verbs are conjugated in various tenses and moods and are sometimes shown
in high-frequency idioms.
Appendix of Additional Verbs
The Appendix of Additional Verbs contains 1,500 German verbs with a quick reference to a fully conjugated verb in the verb charts that has an equivalent conjugation. For example, the German verb kosten (to cost) will refer to arbeiten (to work),
because it has an equivalent conjugation. In this way, you’ll learn many other verbs
instead of being referred to the same pattern verb over and over again.
Appendix of Irregular Verb
Forms
The Appendix of Irregular Verb Forms helps you locate the infinitive to which the
irregular verb form belongs. It shows the spelling changes that occur in the present tense, past tense, and participle, as well as the infinitive from which those
verbs were derived. This appendix will direct you to the fully conjugated verb. For
example, fährt will direct you to fahren.
English-German Verb Index
This index lists, in alphabetical order, the English verbs found in this book with
their German translation. A reference to the fully conjugated verb or equivalent
verb is also given.
VERB USAGE REVIEW
T
his section presents the conjugations of German verbs in an easy-to-understand format. It will help you learn how the tenses are formed and how they
relate to English tenses. It will also help you understand why some changes are
necessary in the conjugations of certain German verbs, and why other changes
have to be memorized. You should read this section first. It will give you a strong
foundation on the conjugation of the different types of German verbs, making the
conjugations in the verb charts more logical and easier to learn. In order to conjugate a verb, you need to know the subject pronouns, so let’s start with a review of
these.
Subject Pronouns
A noun is a word used to name a person, thing, place, quality, or idea. For example:
Max plays soccer.
The new restaurant across the street is quite good.
A subject pronoun takes the place of a subject noun in order to avoid the repetition of the noun. For example:
He plays soccer.
It is quite good.
Before you can use verbs, you need to know the subject pronouns, because subject
pronouns always signal how to conjugate a verb. For example:
I play.
She plays.
In German, the subject pronouns are singular or plural and identify a person, an
object, or an idea.
Because nouns have to be in the nominative case to be the subject of a sentence,
pronouns must also be in the nominative case when they are the subject of a sentence. Table 1 shows the German subject pronouns in the nominative case and
their corresponding English subject pronouns.
Table 1 German Subject Pronouns and Their Corresponding English Subject Pronouns
Singular
First person
Second person
Third person
Plural
German
English
German
English
ich
du
Sie
er
sie
es
I
you
you
he
she
it
wir
ihr
Sie
sie
we
you
you
they
6 / Webster’s New World 575+ German Verbs
German has three forms of the word “you”: du, ihr, and Sie. Use informal du with
children, family members, and close friends. The pronoun ihr is also informal and
is the plural of du. Formal Sie is always capitalized and is used with people with
whom you are on a formal basis: adults unfamiliar to you, your doctor, a new
neighbor, the clerk at the store, and so on.
The three third-person singular pronouns—er, sie, and es—are, respectively, masculine, feminine, and neuter. But they do not just replace nouns that refer to males,
females, and inanimate objects. Many masculine and feminine nouns refer to inanimate objects and are, therefore, replaced by the appropriate subject pronoun er or
sie. And some neuter nouns refer to living things and must be replaced by es. For
example:
Masculine Nouns
Appropriate Pronoun Replacement
der Mann (the man)
der Tisch (the table)
der Wagen (the car)
er (he)
er (it)
er (it)
Feminine Nouns
Appropriate Pronoun Replacement
die Frau (the woman)
die Zeitung (the newspaper)
die Lampe (the lamp)
sie (she)
sie (it)
sie (it)
Neuter Nouns
Appropriate Pronoun Replacement
das Haus (the house)
das Kind (the child)
das Pferd (the horse)
es (it)
es (he/she)
es (he/she/it)
In the plural, gender is not considered, and all nouns whether masculine, feminine,
or neuter are replaced by plural sie.
The third-person singular pronoun man is used where “one” or “you” would be
said in English. English uses the pronoun “one” in formal statements. The pronoun
“you” is informal or casual. But both English pronouns are translated into German
as man. On occasion, man is said in German where “they” or “people” are used.
Das sagt man nicht laut.
One doesn’t say that out loud.
You don’t say that out loud.
People don’t say that out loud.
Man kann das Wasser hier nicht
trinken.
One can’t drink the water here.
You can’t drink the water here.
Man fährt in Deutschland oft mit
dem Fahrrad.
One often goes by bicycle in Germany.
People often go by bicycle in Germany.
Man hat gesagt, dass der Fluss viel
Land überschwemmt habe.
They said that the river flooded a lot
of land.
Verb Usage Review / 7
Be aware that man is only used in the nominative case. In the other cases, use the
respective forms of ein– (for example, einem, einen, and so on).
The Basics on Verbs
The verb is the main element of speech and expresses existence (for example, to
be), action (to work), feeling (to laugh), movement (to go), or process (to build).
It is part of the sentence that commands, emphasizes, declares, denies, or questions something. It is also the part of the sentence that requires a variety of ending changes—the conjugations. In German, the verb has to agree with the subject
in number (singular or plural) and person (first, second, or third), and it also
expresses time (present, past, or future) and mood (indicative, subjunctive, or
imperative). The time of the verb, or the tense, tells when the action takes place,
but the mood of the verb tells us about the attitude or disposition of the speaker,
which can be considered as real (indicative); doubtful, conditional, or wished for
(subjunctive); or an order (imperative).
In English, the infinitive form of a verb is most often expressed by the particle
word “to” plus the verb (for example, “to talk” or “to see”). Sometimes the infinitive is expressed without the particle word “to” in certain kinds of sentences. Compare the following pair of sentences and the kind of infinitive used:
I ran to open the door for Tom.
I should open the door for Tom.
In German, infinitives will end in –n, –eln, –ern, or –en. For example:
–n
–eln
–ern
–en
sein (to be)
basteln (to do handicraft)
hämmern (to hammer)
kaufen (to buy)
When conjugational endings are added to the stem of an infinitive, they define
the person, number, tense, and mood of the verb. Those endings tell you when the
action takes place, who is doing the action, and what the mood or attitude of the
speaker is. When looking up a verb in the dictionary, you will always find it listed
under its infinitive form.
As in English, German verbs are classified as either regular or irregular (or weak or
strong). In the conjugation of a regular verb, the stem does not change. Irregular
verbs undergo changes in the stem when conjugated. Sometimes, irregular verbs
may also have changes in their endings—that is, their conjugations do not follow
the pattern suggested by the form of the infinitive. Fortunately for English speakers learning German, English and German are brother and sister languages—they
often share the same pattern of irregularity. Compare the present, past, and present perfect tense of a regular verb and an irregular verb in the two languages.
8 / Webster’s New World 575+ German Verbs
English
Regular Verb
German
English
Irregular Verb
German
he learns
er lernt
he drinks
er trinkt
he learned
er lernte
he drank
er trank
he has learned
er hat gelernt
he has drunk
er hat getrunken
PARTICIPLES
In English, participles are verb forms that are used with the auxiliary verbs “be”
and “have” to form the progressive and perfect tenses and the passive voice. The
present participle in English ends in “–ing” (for example, “going” and “seeing”) and
is used with a form of “to be” to form the present and past progressive tenses. For
example:
They are running a marathon.
The boy was crying.
But present participles can also be used as adjectives and modify nouns.
I hear the sound of running water.
He tried to calm the crying boy.
The English past participle is used to form the compound or perfect tenses and,
for regular verbs, ends in –ed (talked, listened). Past participles of irregular verbs
have a variety of forms but many end in –en (“spoken” from “speak, “seen” from
“see”). For example:
Have you talked with Dad about it yet?
She has spoken for over an hour.
GERMAN PRESENT PARTICIPLE
In German, the present participle is formed quite simply. Just add –d to the end
of an infinitive (for example, laufen becomes laufend, singen becomes singend).
But this verb form is not used in a progressive tense like English present participles. German present participles are used as modifiers and require the appropriate
adjective endings for gender, number, and case like other adjectives. For example:
Kennst du den schlafenden Mann?
Do you know the sleeping man?
„Der fliegende Holländer” ist eine Oper. “The Flying Dutchman” is an opera.
GERMAN PAST PARTICIPLE
The past participle in German is used far more extensively than the present participle. It’s needed to form the compound or perfect tenses. It’s also used to form
the passive voice with werden and can be used as an adjective as well. If a past
participle is used as an adjective, it must agree in gender, case, and number with
the noun it modifies. The German past participle of regular verbs is formed by
adding the prefix ge– and the suffix –t to the stem of the infinitive. The stem is the
infinitive minus the ending –en. So stellen becomes gestellt, and suchen becomes
gesucht. For example:
Verb Usage Review / 9
Wohin hast du den Eimer gestellt?
Wir haben den Hund gesucht.
Where did you put the pail?
We have looked for the dog.
There is a large group of verbs, most of which come to German from foreign
sources. These verbs end in –ieren. Their conjugation is regular, but they do not
require a ge– prefix when formed as past participles. For example:
Present Tense
Present Pefect Tense
er studiert (he studies)
er arrangiert (he arranges)
er marschiert (he marches)
er hat studiert (he has studied)
er hat arrangiert (he has arranged)
er ist marschiert (he has marched)
Don’t confuse verbs that end in –ieren with true German verbs that appear to have
the same ending, for example verlieren. This German verb is treated like other
verbs. In the case of verlieren, the verb is irregular.
Present Tense
Present Perfect Tense
er verliert (he loses)
er hat verloren (he has lost)
Past participles can act as modifiers. When they are adjectives modifying a noun,
they must show the appropriate adjective ending for gender, number, and case. For
example:
Er ist ein gelehrter Mann.
Die gerettete Frau war ihre Mutter.
He’s an educated man.
The rescued woman was her mother.
Some German verbs form irregular past participles. The past participle is formed
by adding the prefix ge– and the suffix –en to the stem of many irregular verbs.
Often there is also a vowel change in the stem of the verb. The following list shows
some commonly used verbs that form irregular past participles.
Infinitive
Irregular Past Participle
bieten
bleiben
brechen
singen
stehlen
nennen
geboten
geblieben
gebrochen
gesungen
gestohlen
genannt
Here are some example sentences with irregular past participles.
Wer hat diesen Brief geschrieben?
Karl hat mir geholfen.
Who has written this letter?
Karl has helped me.
The German Tenses
German has six tenses, and they are very similar in makeup and use to the English
tenses. The main difference between tense usage in the two languages is that German has no progressive tenses (I am going, we were helping). In the perfect tenses,
10 / Webster’s New World 575+ German Verbs
English uses the auxiliary verb “to have” with a past participle. German, however,
has two auxiliaries for the perfect tenses: haben and sein.
First, look at Table 2, which shows the verb fragen (to ask) in the six tenses with its
English counterparts. This verb uses haben as its auxiliary.
Table 2 The Six German Tenses with fragen
Tense
German
Present Indicative
ich frage
I ask
I am asking
du fragst
you ask
you are asking
er fragt
he asks
he is asking
wir fragen
we ask
we are asking
ihr fragt
you ask
you are asking
they are asking
Past Indicative
Present Perfect Indicative
Past Perfect Indicative
Future Indicative
Future Perfect Indicative
English
sie fragen
they ask
ich fragte
I asked
I was asking
du fragtest
you asked
you were asking
er fragte
he asked
he was asking
wir fragten
we asked
we were asking
ihr fragtet
you asked
you were asking
sie fragten
they asked
they were asking
ich habe gefragt
I have asked
I have been asking
du hast gefragt
you have asked
you have been asking
er hat gefragt
he has asked
he has been asking
wir haben gefragt
we have asked
we have been asking
ihr habt gefragt
you have asked
you have been asking
sie haben gefragt
they have asked
they have been asking
ich hatte gefragt
I had asked
I had been asking
du hattest gefragt
you had asked
you had been asking
er hatte gefragt
he had asked
he has been asking
wir hatten gefragt
we had asked
we had been asking
ihr hattet gefragt
you had asked
you had been asking
they had been asking
sie hatten gefragt
they had asked
ich werde fragen
I will ask
I will be asking
du wirst fragen
you will ask
you will be asking
er wird fragen
he will ask
he will be asking
wir werden fragen
we will ask
we will be asking
ihr werdet fragen
you will ask
you will be asking
they will be asking
sie werden fragen
they will ask
ich werde gefragt haben
I will have asked
I will have been asking
du wirst gefragt haben
you will have asked
you will have been asking
er wird gefragt haben
he will have asked
he will have been asking
wir werden gefragt haben
we will have asked
we will have been asking
ihr werdet gefragt haben
you will have asked
you will have been asking
sie werden gefragt haben
they will have asked
they will have been asking
Each of those tense forms can also appear in the subjunctive mood. The German
subjunctive mood consists of the present subjunctive (or subjunctive I) and the
past subjunctive (or subjunctive II). The present subjunctive is frequently used in
indirect discourse when retelling what someone else has stated. The past subjunctive is used to express a wish, a desire, or a condition. In Table 3, you will find the
verb fragen in its various subjunctive tenses.
Verb Usage Review / 11
Table 3 The German Subjunctive Tenses with fragen
Tense
German
Present Subjunctive
ich frage
I ask
du fragest
you ask
you are asking
er frage
he asks
he is asking
wir fragen
we ask
we are asking
ihr fraget
you ask
you are asking
sie fragen
they ask
they are asking
ich fragte
(if) I asked
(if) I were asking
du fragtest
you asked
you were asking
er fragte
he asked
he were asking
wir fragten
we asked
we were asking
ihr fragtet
you asked
you were asking
sie fragten
they asked
they were asking
ich habe gefragt
I have asked
I have been asking
du habest gefragt
you have asked
you have been asking
er habe gefragt
he has asked
he has been asking
wir haben gefragt
we have asked
we have been asking
ihr habet gefragt
you have asked
you have been asking
sie haben gefragt
they have asked
they have been asking
ich hätte gefragt
I had asked
I had been asking
du hättest gefragt
you had asked
you had been asking
er hättet gefragt
he had asked
he has been asking
wir hätten gefragt
we had asked
we had been asking
ihr hättet gefragt
you had asked
you had been asking
sie hätten gefragt
they had asked
they had been asking
ich werde fragen
I will ask
I will be asking
du werdest fragen
you will ask
you will be asking
er werde fragen
he will ask
he will be asking
wir werden fragen
we will ask
we will be asking
ihr werdet fragen
you will ask
you will be asking
sie werden fragen
they will ask
they will be asking
ich werde gefragt haben
I will have asked
I will have been asking
du werdest gefragt haben
you will have asked
you will have been asking
er werde gefragt haben
he will have asked
he will have been asking
wir werden gefragt haben
we will have asked
we will have been asking
ihr werdet gefragt haben
you will have asked
you will have been asking
sie werden gefragt haben
they will have asked
they will have been asking
ich würde fragen
I would ask
I would be asking
du würdest fragen
you would ask
you would be asking
er würde fragen
he would ask
he would be asking
wir würden fragen
we would ask
we would be asking
ihr würdet fragen
you would ask
you would be asking
sie würden fragen
they would ask
they would be asking
ich würde gefragt haben
I would have asked
I would have been asking
du würdest gefragt haben
you would have asked
you would have been asking
er würde gefragt haben
he would have asked
he would have been asking
wir würden gefragt haben
we would have asked
we would have been asking
ihr würdet gefragt haben
you would have asked
you would have been asking
sie würden gefragt haben
they would have asked
they would have been asking
Past Subjunctive
Present Perfect Subjunctive
Past Perfect Subjunctive
Future Subjunctive
Future Perfect Subjunctive
Present Conditional
Past Conditional
English
I am asking
12 / Webster’s New World 575+ German Verbs
Now look at Tables 4 and 5, which provide all the conjugational forms with the
verb reisen (to travel). This verb uses sein as its auxiliary in the perfect tenses.
Table 4 The Six German Tenses with reisen
Tense
German
Present Indicative
ich reise
du reist
er reist
wir reisen
ihr reist
sie reisen
ich reiste
du reistest
er reiste
wir reisten
ihr reistet
sie reisten
ich bin gereist
du bist gereist
er ist gereist
wir sind gereist
ihr seid gereist
sie sind gereist
ich war gereist
du warst gereist
er war gereist
wir waren gereist
ihr wart gereist
sie waren gereist
ich werde reisen
du wirst reisen
er wird reisen
wir werden reisen
ihr werdet reisen
sie werden reisen
ich werde gereist sein
du wirst gereist sein
er wird gereist sein
wir werden gereist sein
ihr werdet gereist sein
sie werden gereist sein
Past Indicative
Present Perfect Indicative
Past Perfect Indicative
Future Indicative
Future Perfect Indicative
English
I travel
you travel
he travels
we travel
you travel
they travel
I traveled
you traveled
he traveled
we traveled
you traveled
they traveled
I have traveled
you have traveled
he has traveled
we have traveled
you have traveled
they have traveled
I had traveled
you had traveled
he had traveled
we had traveled
you had traveled
they had traveled
I will travel
you will travel
he will travel
we will travel
you will travel
they will travel
I will have traveled
you will have traveled
he will have traveled
we will have traveled
you will have traveled
they will have traveled
I am traveling
you are traveling
he is traveling
we are traveling
you are traveling
they are traveling
I was traveling
you were traveling
he was traveling
we were traveling
you were traveling
they were traveling
I have been traveling
you have been traveling
he has been traveling
we have been traveling
you have been traveling
they have been traveling
I had been traveling
you had been traveling
he has been traveling
we had been traveling
you had been traveling
they had been traveling
I will be traveling
you will be traveling
he will be traveling
we will be traveling
you will be traveling
they will be traveling
I will have been traveling
you will have been traveling
he will have been traveling
we will have been traveling
you will have been traveling
they will have been traveling
In Table 5, you will find the verb reisen in its various subjunctive tenses.
Verb Usage Review / 13
Table 5 The German Subjunctive Tenses with reisen
Tense
German
Present Subjunctive
ich reise
I travel
I am traveling
du reisest
you travel
you are traveling
er reise
he travels
he is traveling
wir reisen
we travel
we are traveling
ihr reiset
you travel
you are traveling
they are traveling
Past Subjunctive
Present Perfect
Subjunctive
Past Perfect
Subjunctive
Future Subjunctive
Present Conditional
Future Perfect
Subjunctive
English
sie reisen
they travel
ich reiste
(if) I traveled
(if) I were traveling
du reistest
you traveled
you were traveling
er reiste
he traveled
he were traveling
wir reisten
we traveled
we were traveling
ihr reistet
you traveled
you were traveling
sie reisten
they traveled
they were traveling
ich sei gereist
I have traveled
I have been traveling
du seiest gereist
you have traveled
you have been traveling
er sei gereist
he has traveled
he has been traveling
wir seien gereist
we have traveled
we have been traveling
ihr seiet gereist
you have traveled
you have been traveling
sie seien gereist
they have traveled
they have been traveling
ich wäre gereist
I had traveled
I had been traveling
du wärest gereist
you had traveled
you had been traveling
er wäre gereist
he had traveled
he has been traveling
wir wären gereist
we had traveled
we had been traveling
ihr wäret gereist
you had traveled
you had been traveling
sie wären gereist
they had traveled
they had been traveling
ich werde reisen
I will travel
I will be traveling
du werdest reisen
you will travel
you will be traveling
er werde reisen
he will travel
he will be traveling
wir werden reisen
we will travel
we will be traveling
ihr werdet reisen
you will travel
you will be traveling
sie werden reisen
they will travel
they will be traveling
ich würde reisen
I would travel
I would be traveling
du würdest reisen
you would travel
you would be traveling
er würde reisen
he would travel
he would be traveling
wir würden reisen
we would travel
we would be traveling
ihr würdet reisen
you would travel
you would be traveling
sie würden reisen
they would travel
they would be traveling
ich werde gereist sein
I will have traveled
I will have been traveling
du werdest gereist sein
you will have traveled
you will have been traveling
er werde gereist sein
he will have traveled
he will have been traveling
wir werden gereist sein
we will have traveled
we will have been traveling
ihr werdet gereist sein
you will have traveled
you will have been traveling
sie werden gereist sein
they will have traveled
they will have been traveling
continues
14 / Webster’s New World 575+ German Verbs
Table 5 (continued)
Tense
German
Present Conditional
ich würde reisen
I would travel
I would be traveling
du würdest reisen
you would travel
you would be traveling
er würde reisen
he would travel
he would be traveling
wir würden reisen
we would travel
we would be traveling
ihr würdet reisen
you would travel
you would be traveling
Past Conditional
English
sie würden reisen
they would travel
they would be traveling
ich würde gereist sein
I would have traveled
I would have been traveling
du würdest gereist sein
you would have traveled
you would have been traveling
er würde gereist sein
he would have traveled
he would have been traveling
wir würden gereist sein
ihr würdet gereist sein
sie würden gereist sein
we would have traveled
you would have traveled
they would have traveled
we would have been traveling
you would have been traveling
they would have been traveling
Note: Infinitives that end in –ern and –eln can break the conjugational pattern in
the present tense in the spoken, colloquial language. In the first-person singular,
the vowel e before the letters r and l is often omitted:
Present-Tense Conjugation
Conjugation in the Spoken Language
ich hämmere
ich wechsele
ich hämmre
ich wechsle
The verb charts provide the full present-tense conjugation. The conjugation for the
spoken, colloquial language is not shown.
The Indicative Mood
The indicative mood states real facts indicating something that happened, is happening, or will happen. It is the mood that we use the most. For example:
I speak German.
We worked in Berlin.
They will travel to Switzerland.
In German, as in English, the indicative tenses state real facts in the past, present,
or future. For example:
Ich spreche Deutsch.
Wir arbeiteten in Berlin.
Sie werden in die Schweiz fahren.
I speak German
We worked in Berlin.
They will travel to Switzerland.
In German, the six tenses are present, past, present perfect, past perfect, future,
and future perfect.